When I was in medical college, I went camping with some of my friends. The season was summer; therefore, we chose to go to the seaside. After arriving there, we rent a room and left our luggage there. We finished lunch and then decided to rent a boat because the sea and the weather were beautiful.
We started to row, but about one mile out, the weather suddenly changed. Although the weather was not good, we didn't want to give up, but finally my friends and I agreed that we should go back. We tried to change the boat's direction, but as soon as we changed it, the oarlock (桨架)broke. Therefore, we were unable to turn back. We had to wait for help because we couldn't do anything.
After seeing the change of weather, we shouldn't have continued to row, but it was too late. We regretted(后悔) it. The sea changed a lot, the waves got very high, and the boat began to shake like a cradle(摇篮). One of my friends started to cry; another started to vomit(呕吐). Three hours passed, and nobody came to help us. We were just praying.
Fortunately, after five long hours of waiting, two big boats came to rescue us and we escaped. If they hadn't come to get us, we would have crossed the border between Turkey and Greece because the border was very close.
This story is the most exciting story of my life because we could have died, but luck was with us and we escaped.What does the author mainly tell us in this passage?
| A．An experience at sea. |
| B．An exciting experience when swimming. |
| C．The changeable weather at the seaside. |
| D．It is dangerous to boat at sea. |
When did they begin to go boating in the sea?
| A．In the morning. | B．In the afternoon. | C．In the evening. | D．At night. |
What they regretted was that ______ when the weather changed.
| A．they went camping at the seaside | B．they went on rowing |
| C．the waves got very high | D．they started too late |
One of his friends started to vomit because _________.
| A．he came down with a disease | B．they stayed three hours at sea |
| C．the boat shook too much | D．nobody came to help them |
The view over a valley of a tiny village with thatched (草盖的) roof cottages around a church, a drive through a narrow village street lined with thatched cottages painted pink or white, the sight over the rolling hills of a pretty collection of thatched farm buildings―these are still common sights in parts of England. Most people will agree that the thatched roof is an essential part of the attraction of the English countryside.
Thatching is in fact the oldest of all the building crafts（工艺）practised in the British Isles. Although thatch has always been used for cottage and farm buildings, it was once used for castles and churches, too.
Thatching is a solitary（独自的）craft, which often runs in families. The craft of thatching as it is practised toady has changed very little since the Middle Ages. Over 800 full-time thatchers are employed in England and Wales today, keeping and renewing the old roofs as well as thatching newer houses. Many property owners choose thatch not only for its beauty but because they know it will keep them cool in summer and warm in winter.
In fact, if we look at developing countries, over half the world lives under thatch, but they all do it in different ways. People in developing countries are often unwilling to go back to traditional materials and would prefer modern buildings. However, they may lack the money to allow them to get the necessary materials. Their temporary mud huts with thatched roofs of wild grasses often only last six months. Thatch which has been done the British way lasts from twenty to sixty years, and is an effective defiance against the heat.Which of the following remains a special feature of the English countryside?
| A．Narrow streets lined with pink or white houses. | B．Rolling hills with pretty farm buildings. |
| C．Cottages with thatched roofs. | D．Churches with cottages around them. |
What do we know about thatching as a craft?
| A．It is a collective activity. |
| B．It is practised on farms all over England. |
| C．It is quite different from what it used to be. |
| D．It is in most cases handed down among family members. |
Thatched houses are still preferred because of _________.
| A．their style and comfort | B．their durability |
| C．their easy maintenance | D．their cheap and ready-made materials |
People in developing countries also live under thatch because ________.
| A．thatched cottages are a big tourist attraction |
| B．thatched roof houses are the cheapest |
| C．thatch is an effective defense against the heat |
| D．they like thatched houses better than other buildings |
Gary Locke, 61, who comes from a Chinese background and even looks Chinese, became the new US ambassador（大使）to China.
“I can think of nobody who is more qualified than Gary Locke.” President Obama said. Locke’s new position is clearly a sign that US President is trying to improve relations with China.
When he made his first speech to the Chinese press in Beijing, Locke said,“I think ,being a Chinese-American, I have a greater understanding of the history and culture of China, but I am here as a representative of the US government.”
Before becoming ambassador to China, Locke was US secretary of commerce(商务部长). This means he has plenty of trade experience, which will be useful in building economic links between the two countries.
Locke’s grandfather went to the United States over a century ago to work as a houseboy for a family in Washington State in exchange for English lessons. His father moved to the US as a teenager.
“I’m going back to the birthplace of my grandfather ,my father and my mom, and I’ll be doing so as a devoted diplomat(外交官) for America，the country where I was born and raised,” Locke said.President Obama thinks Gary Locke ________.
| A．is the right person for the new position |
| B．is still not too old to be an ambassador |
| C．is not qualified as secretary of commerce |
| D．can help improve US relations with Asia. |
What message did Locke express in his first speech in Beijing?
| A．He is proud of his parents and his grandfather. |
| B．He will work for both China and the United States. |
| C．He will represent the US government. |
| D．He was still not ready for his new job. |
Locke will benefit from his ________ as a former secretary of commerce.
| A．trade experience | B．public relations | C．work training | D．government knowledge |
We learn from the text that Locke’s father ________.
| A．worked as a houseboy for an American family |
| B．was born in China. |
| C．moved to the US as a baby. |
| D．was not able to return to China |
Australia is largely a nation of immigration（移民）, with one in four of Australia’s 21 million population born overseas. But immigrations hoping to become Australian citizens will soon have to take a test examining their knowledge of the country's history and institutions.
While Australia prides itself on its multicultural background, the government wants newcomers to integrate （同化）more fully . Form later this year, new immigrants will have to show an understanding of the English language. They will also be required to answer 20 questions from a list of 200. Anyone who gives fewer than 12 correct responses will not be accepted.
Immigrants will also have to accept what the government considers to be 10 important Australia values, including “mateship” and “giving people a fair go”. Other important Australia values are said to include tolerance, compassion, gender equality and freedom of speech.
The new citizenship application procedures are detailed in a 40-pages booklet（小册子）. It describes Australia as “a nation at ease with the world and itself” but says that newcomers are expected to respect its values. The booklet sums up mateship as voluntary helping and receiving help from others, especially in difficult times. The immigration Minister said they aimed to achieve a balance between ethnic diversity and social stability（稳定）, “particularly as we now draw people from so many different countries and so many different cultures”.
Critics have attacked the English language requirement, pointing out many immigrants could not speak English when they arrived. But the minister said, “We are trying to encourage people to learn English, because we think that is the way they will achieve their dreams in Australia.”What’s new in Australia’s immigration policy?
| A．New immigrants will have to take a test |
| B．New immigrants should speak perfect English |
| C．New immigrants must bring enough money |
| D．New immigrants must be healthy |
Those who want to move to Australia have to answer_____ questions right
| A．20 | B．12 | C．200 | D．10 |
The word "mateship" is closest in meaning to _____.
| A．equality | B．freedom | C．fairness | D．friendship |
Which is one of the reasons for the change of application?
| A．To encourage new immigrants | B．To control the population |
| C．To promote Australia ' values | D．To teach the English language |
Apollo 11, carrying Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin and Michael Collins, was launched on 16 July, 1969. Five days later they stepped down onto the moon.
Neil Armstrong
On the way there: Of all the wonderful views we had, the most impressive to me was on the way to the Moon when we flew through its shadow. We were still thousands of miles away, but close enough so that the Moon almost filled our window. The moon appeared blue-grey. It seemed almost as if it were showing us its roundness, its similarity in shape to our Earth, in a sort of welcome. I was sure it would be a hospitable（好客的） host. It had been waiting for its first visitors for a long time.
After touch down: The sky is black, you know. It’s a very dark sky, but it still seemed more like daylight than darkness as we looked out the window. It’s a very strange thing but the surface looked very warm and inviting. It seemed to be tan(棕褐色). It’s hard to explain that, because later when I held the material in my hand, it wasn’t tan at all. It was black, grey and so on.
Edwin Aldrin
On the Moon: The blue color of my boots has completely disappeared now into this soil—still don’t know what color to describe this other than grayish(灰色的) cocoa.
Back on board: The moon was a very natural and pleasant environment in which to work. On the Moon, in one-sixth gravity, you have a strong feeling of being somewhere. As we did our experiments, some objects we threw away would go in a slow, lazy manner.What impressed Neil Armstrong most?
| A．The moon filling their window. |
| B．Seeing the shape of the moon |
| C．Flying through the shadow of the moon. |
| D．The five—day flight to the moon. |
What did Armstrong find very strange on the moon?
| A．The color of the sky. | B．The surface of the moon |
| C．The gravity on the moon. | D．The daylight on the moon. |
Edward Aldrin described the soil as ________.
| A．tan | B．gray | C．black | D．grayish cocoa. |
What can be said about Edward Aldrin?
| A．He landed on the moon alone. |
| B．He was sent to the moon by Apollo 11. |
| C．He didn’t notice the gravity of the moon. |
| D．He found it impossible to work on the moon. |
An earthquake happens when two plates rub (碰撞) together. The earth plates travel in different directions and at different speeds. If one plate is slowly forced underneath the other, pressure builds up until the plates break apart. This process causes the ground to move. It is an earthquake. In other words, earthquakes are the shaking of the earth’s surface caused by the earth’s rocky outer layer as a result of the energy stored within the earth. The strain within the rocks is suddenly released (释放).
The damage an earthquake causes depends on where it is and the time it is happening. If an unpopulated region is struck, there will be low loss of life or property. If it hits a large city, there may be many injuries and much destruction. Many of the areas at risk are largely populated now. Major earthquakes hitting those areas today could produce terrible damage.
Actually, there are several million small earth-quakes every year. Large earthquakes such as the 1964 Alaska quake that measured 9.2 on the Richter scale, cause millions of dollars in damage. In the last 500 years, millions of people have been killed by earthquakes around the world — including 240,000 in the 1976 Tangshan earthquake in China.
A 60-second or less earthquake can cause devastation（毁坏） that continues for years after the first tremor (小震). In 1972, a series of severe earthquakes struck Managua, Nicaragua. Fifteen years later, the city still looked the way it had a week after the earthquake hit, because the country did not have the necessary money to rebuild it.
The shaking of the earth is sometimes not the greatest disaster. It is in the ensuing fires and floods that often the greatest damage occurs. In the 1906 earthquake, it was the fires caused after it that did the majority of the damage. An earthquake can also destroy dams high above a city or valleys, causing floods to sweep down and sweep away everything in their path. Which of the following is the main idea of the first paragraph?
| A．An earthquake comes from inside the earth. |
| B．The earth has great energy in storage. |
| C．How the earth plates move. |
| D．How an earthquake happens. |
Which of the following is mentioned to show that an earthquake can kill too many people?
| A．The 1964 Alaskan quake. | B．The 1976 Tangshan earthquake. |
| C．The 1972 Managua earthquake. | D．The 1906 earthquake. |
The underlined word “ensuing” in the last paragraph probably means ______.
| A．causing too much heat and great damage |
| B．causing many injuries and much destruction |
| C．happening as a result of another event |
| D．happening suddenly and unexpectedly |
By giving the example in Paragraph 4, the author wants to show that ______.
| A．an earthquake doesn’t last long |
| B．the damage can last long |
| C．people in Managua suffered too much |
| D．Nicaragua is still a poor country |
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